Geology Reports⌕ Search

SEARCH · Geology Reports

Results for “Data”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,027 records · Page 57Linked to original sources
USGS2024

Assessment of water levels, nitrate, and arsenic in the Carson Valley Alluvial Aquifer and the development of a data visualization tool for the Carson River Basin, Nevada

Residents of Carson Valley, Douglas County, Nevada, rely on the basin-fill alluvial aquifer underlying the valley for drinking water. Since the 1980s, groundwater levels and water-quality data have been collected to monitor the status of the aquifer system and to assist in planning efforts to address current (2024) and future demand. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Douglas County, Nevada, evaluated trends in water levels, nitrate, and arsenic concentrations from a network of monitoring and domestic wells in Carson Valley. This work also assessed the monitoring well network to determine the suitability of wells for characterizing the occurrence of arsenic in the groundwater. Monitoring of constituents, such as nitrate and arsenic concentrations, is needed to assess changes in contaminant distribution and to evaluate the effect that changing land use and groundwater pumping has on their occurrence and transport. Results of the trend analysis indicate water levels are declining ( p <0.05) in 17 of 26 selected monitoring wells (65 percent). Areas with the largest change in water levels, with more than 20 feet of declines, were within the community areas of Johnson Lane, Ruhenstroth, South Agricultural, East Valley, and Fish Springs. Variations in water levels measured in wells from the Central Agricultural, Minden, Foothill, Alpine County (one well), and Gardnerville Ranchos areas show periods of increase and decrease over time, but they also maintain long-term declining trends ( p <0.05). Increases in nitrate concentrations in groundwater samples collected from 9 out of 14 selected monitoring wells (64 percent) are statistically significant ( p <0.05) within the Ruhenstroth, Gardnerville Ranchos, East Valley, Genoa, and Johnson Lane community areas. Samples collected from a well in Indian Hills/Jacks Valley indicated a decreasing trend in nitrate concentration over time. Nitrate concentrations in samples collected from wells in East Valley, Genoa, Johnson Lane, and Indian Hills/Jack Valley were consistently low (less than 3 milligrams per liter [mg/L]) and stable. Nitrate concentrations from selected wells in Johnson Lane and Garnerville Ranchos exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 mg/L (as nitrogen) and have trends that are increasing over time. In 2022, a sample collected from Johnson Lane had a concentration (7.3 mg/L) below the MCL with an increasing trend over time. Temporal trend analyses for groundwater arsenic concentrations in Carson Valley could not be done because of a lack of temporal data. However, using available historical data, arsenic concentrations seem to be greater in groundwater from wells located on the eastern and northern areas of the valley than in wells located on the western or southern areas. Groundwater arsenic concentrations exceed 5 micrograms per liter (μg/L) in most samples collected from wells in Johnson Lane, Airport, Central Agricultural, and East Valley areas and in many cases exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) MCL of 10 μg/L. Data indicate that groundwater from domestic wells screened at deeper intervals are likely more vulnerable to elevated arsenic concentrations than shallower wells. A groundwater network evaluation for Carson Valley identified potential modifications in the sampling locations and frequency to better understand the effect of groundwater pumping in communities where municipal and domestic demand are greatest, potentially enhancing understanding of contaminant transport in these areas. Potential modifications to the active well network include reducing the frequency of sample collection from existing network wells (6 out of 11) that have consistently shown low and stable nitrate concentrations, adding wells in areas where data are sparse, and increasing the number of wells in areas with elevated groundwater nitrate concentrations. Including the analysis of arsenic in samples from the active groundwater monitoring well network will provide more detail on the temporal and spatial variability of arsenic concentrations. A visualization tool for the Carson River Basin was developed to provide access to discrete and near real-time hydrologic and water-quality data. The Carson River Basin Hydro Mapper (CBH; U.S. Geological Survey, 2023b) shows active and historical discrete water levels measured by the USGS and the State of Nevada Division of Water Resources, discrete groundwater nitrate and arsenic concentration data collected by the USGS, near real-time streamflow, and surface water levels for select waterbodies. The hydrologic data in the CBH provides resource managers, the public, and the scientific community with an easily accessible tool to present and communicate the most up-to-date information available about local and basin-wide water resources.

Nevada↗
USGS2024

U.S. Geological Survey Mississippi River Science Forum—Summary of data and science needs and next steps

The U.S. Geological Survey hosted a Mississippi River Science Forum with Federal agencies; Tribal, State, and local governments located in States that border the Mississippi River; academia; and other interested stakeholders. The purpose of the forum was to share current (2023) science; identify data gaps and areas of concern; and to prioritize next steps needed to advance the goals of improving water quality, restoring habitat and natural systems, improving navigation, eliminating aquatic invasive species, and building local resilience to natural disasters along the Mississippi River. The forum was a directive for the U.S. Geological Survey in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 (Public Law 117—103, 136 Stat. 49). Participants and stakeholders that attended the Mississippi River Science Forum indicated the following. A Mississippi River Science Committee could bring together the voices of all stakeholders, including Federal agencies; State, local, and Tribal governments; academia; nongovernmental organizations; business and industry; and other interested parties. This committee would also work with (but not replace) Mississippi River Basin entities already in place and establish effective communication to identify and address Basin-wide management needs and to develop holistic solutions for those needs. A Mississippi River science plan could expand on the science and data gaps identified by the Forum. This plan could guide data collection and help resource managers develop and implement restoration initiatives within the Basin, recognizing that addressing these needs will require substantial resources. The science committee, working with other entities in the basin, should develop data standards for the Mississippi River Basin that allow stakeholders to utilize comparable data to address their needs. These standards would include data findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability. This report highlights data gaps and areas of concern discussed during the forum, and it identifies needs to advance the goals of improving water quality, restoring habitat and natural systems, improving navigation, eliminating aquatic invasive species, and building local resilience to natural disasters with specific emphasis on data collection and measurement, and scientific investigation. The report also summarizes stakeholder input and feedback and outlines next steps identified by forum participants.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2025

Select elements of concern in surface water of three hydrologic basins (Delaware River, Illinois River, and Upper Colorado River)—Data screening for the development of spatial and temporal models

The report focuses on the screening of previously published concentration data associated with 12 elements of concern (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron, mercury, manganese, lead, selenium, uranium, and zinc) measured in stream surface waters of three hydrologic basins (Delaware River Basin, Illinois River Basin, and the Upper Colorado River Basin). The purpose of this analysis is to determine what subsets of the original dataset (containing more than 1,500,000 observations) may be most suitable for each of two types of modeling efforts. The first type of modeling envisions a machine learning approach to determine which geospatial attributes are most significant in describing the spatial distribution of elemental concentrations within a basin. The second type of modeling envisions a stepwise regression approach to develop multivariable models that can be used to determine high resolution time-series estimates of elemental concentrations or loads at discrete U.S. Geological Survey real-time stream surface water sites. These site-specific temporal models are based on continuous measurements of available discharge and (or) in situ sensor data (temperature, pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and (or) fluorescent dissolved organic matter) as the explanatory variables. The data screening for both model types considered historical trends in analytical methods and detection quantitation limits, the extent of censored data, data density, and environmental relevance with respect to three U.S. Environmental Protection Agency water quality thresholds (drinking water guidelines, human health criteria, and aquatic life criteria). The result of this analysis was the production of a final list of potential models deemed suitable for further development based upon the data exclusion (or inclusion) scheme developed herein for each model type. In both cases, the final models included mostly the three crustal elements (iron, manganese, and aluminum) that are found at comparatively high concentrations in surface water, whereas most of the more pernicious elements were excluded from the final model lists owing to various data limitations. The one exception to this was arsenic, for which the existing data were sufficient at three U.S. Geological Survey real-time sites for potential further development of time-series models.

Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, N↗
USGS1960

Ground-water data for Fairbanks area, Alaska

A compilation of records of about 450 wells in the Fairbanks area is presented herein. The data were collected by D. J. Cedarstrom and Troy L. Pewe during the first phases of an investigation by the United States Geological Survey of the permafrost, terrain, and water resources of the Fairbanks area. The enclosed map of the area, showing well locations, was prepared by the Regional Sanitary Engineer, Sanitation and Engineering, Alaska Department of Health and Welfare. The data were released to the Survey's open file in 1948, but are reproduced in the Alaska Department of Health and Welfare Hydrological Data series to insure preservation. Where known, the data include for each well the names of the owner and driller; the depth of the well; the depth to the top and bottom of permafrost; and the reported quality of water. The well records and location may be very useful for future subsurface investigations or construction. The well location map was based on the Fairbanks street names as of 1948. Since that time, many of the street names and the numbering system have changed. Hence, the reader should not refer to the address of a particular well, but to the well number when locating a well on the map. The Geological Survey has recompiled the well data in the Fairbanks area for its final phase of a ground-water study. Data through 1954 is to be presented in a Water-Supply Paper now in preparation. Pertinent portions of the enclosed well data will be presented in the forthcoming report. Some of the enclosed well data, and additional well logs, have been published in a report (Pewe, Troy L., 1958, Geology of the Fairbanks (D-2) quadrangle, Alaska: U. S. Geological Survey GQ 110) describing the geology and subsurface conditions in the area.

Alaska↗
USGS1950

Ground-water data collected in the Missouri River basin units in Kansas during 1949

Ground-water studies in the Missouri River Basin were begun by the United States Geological Survey during the fall of 1945 as a part of the program for development of the resources of the basin by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and other Federal Agencies. The studies of the ground-water resources in the part of Kansas that lies within the Basin have been coordinated with the cooperative program of ground-water studies already being carried on in Kansas by the Federal Geological Survey and the State Geological Survey of Kansas with the cooperation of the Division of Sanitation of the Kansas State Board of Health and the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture. Areas in which ground-water data have been collected under the Missouri Basin program include the Almena Unit in Norton and Phillips Counties; the Bostwick Unit in Jewell, Republic, and Cloud Counties; the Cedar Bluff Unit in Ellis, Rush, and Trego Counties; the Glen Elder Unit in Mitchell County; the Webster Unit in Osborne County; and the Wilson Unit in Lincoln County. Most of the ground-water data presented in this report were collected during 1949. Most of the data collected in these areas prior to the end of 1947 were presented in a report that was mimeographed in September 1948 and most of the data collected during 1948 were presented in a report that was mimeographed in November 1949. This report is the third of a series of annual reports on ground-water data collected in the Missouri Basin units in Kansas. These annual reports are a means of more promptly releasing for administrative use the data collected each year. Data that are included in the annual reports for a given area will be assembled later in a report on the geology and hydrology of that area. An index of the data collected and presented in the 1947, 1948, and 1949 reports is given in table 1.

Kansas↗
USGS1970

A proposed streamflow-data program for Wisconsin

An evaluation of the streamflow data available in Wisconsin was made to provide guidelines for planning future programs. The basic steps in the evaluation procedure were (1) definition of the long-term goals of the streamflow data program, (2) examination and analysis of all available data to determine which goals have already been met, and (3) consideration of alternate programs and techniques to meet the remaining objectives. A streamflow data program based on these guidelines is proposed for the future. Streamflow data collected at gaging stations were classified according to the type of use or purpose. Recommendations were made as to whether a station should be included in the proposed network or whether it had met the objective for which it was operated and could be discontinued. The historical data acquired and the new data to be collected form the basis for analytical and interpretive reports. Recommendations were made as to expanding or initiating such studies. Streamflow data collection should be a continuing effort, reoriented as necessary to meet the changing needs.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1975

Data summary of June-July 1975 floods in eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota

Torrential rains during late June and early July 1975, combined with wet antecedent conditions, caused severe flooding, mainly along the lower reaches of the Sheyenne and Maple Rivers and their tributaries in North Dakota, and in the Buffalo and Wild Rice River basins in Minnesota. The Red River of the North from the Fargo-Moorhead area to the Halstad, Minnesota area was also severely flooded. Because much of the region is extremely flat, large areas of the two States were inundated by flood waters. Damage, mostly agricultural, was widespread and damage estimates exceeded a quarter of a billion dollars. Local, State, and Federal officials need factual information to evaluate, coordinate, and manage programs concerned with flood losses. The purpose of this report is to provide quickly a summary of some of the basic data collected on the June-July 1975 floods. Only a part of the information collected by the U.S. Geological Survey on the extent and magnitude of the floods is presented. This information includes the magnitude and frequency of the instantaneous maximum stages (water-surface elevations) and flow rates for 62 sites, measured sediment loads at 7 sites, and hydrographs of daily mean flow at 6 sites. Additional streamflow information associated with the floods will be provided subsequently in annual data releases of the Geological Survey. The report also describes availability of graphic or photographic data depicting the areal extent of inundation. Those data may be obtained from the Applications Assistance Branch, EROS Data Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Sioux Falls, S. Dak. 57198. Only a minimal amount of rainfall data are summarized in this report to aid in documenting the flood event. These data were provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce, and by the Minnesota State Office of Climatology. This assistance in providing the data and in reviewing the form of its presentation is appreciated.

Minnesota, North Dakota↗
USGS1982

Hydrologic data from monitoring of saline-water intrusion in the Cape Coral area, Lee County, Florida

As a result of declining water levels and saline-water intrusion in the Cape Coral area, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the City of Cape Coral established a monitoring well network in Cape Coral and adjacent areas in 1978-79. The network was designed to provide indication of lateral movement of saline water in the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation; to provide trends in water levels; and to provide background data from: (1) the aquifer in the upper part of the Hawthorn Formation; (2) the aquifer in the lower part of the Hawthorn Formation and upper part of the Tampa Limestone; and (3) the surficial aquifer. The monitoring well network consists of 77 wells. Data collected in this network since 1978, as well as data collected from selected wells in the network prior to 1978, are compiled in this report. These data include water-quality data from 69 wells, water-level data from 29 wells, and lithologic logs from 18 wells. Other data compiled in this report include municipal pumpage and rainfall data supplied by the City of Cape Coral.

Florida↗
USGS1983

Alternate data sources for soil surveys on rangeland

Soil information is an essential theme in a digital information base for land management and resource monitoring, but public land management agencies seldom have detailed soil maps available for all of the area under their administration. Most of these agencies conduct soil surveys on a scheduled basis, but escalating costs and declining budgets are reducing the number of surveys that can be scheduled. Digital elevation and satellite spectral data are available or are obtainable for all areas in the continental United States and may be used as an aid to produce soils data. A study was conducted in the Grass Creek Resource Area in north-central Wyoming to assess the utility of incorporating digital elevation and Landsat data into an information base for soil survey and to evaluate the usefulness of these data as an input to an order-three soil survey. Slope-interval maps were produced from digital elevation data and topographic maps of three 7.5-minute quadrangle areas. These slope-interval maps were then overlaid on orthophotoquadrangles and used to produce photo-interpreted physiographic maps. These physiographic maps were digitized into a data base and used with Landsat multispectral scanner data to produce tabular summaries that describe each map polygon in terms of physiographic unit, slope, aspect, elevation, area, and spectral values. A good relationship was found between the physiographic units and soil mapping units defined during a conventional soil survey, and between the Landsat spectral categories and existing vegetation communities. Field evaluations confirmed the feasibility of using this approach for producing physiographic maps as an aid for mapping soils and range sites. The project is a cooperative investigation of the Earth Resources Observation Systems Data Center of the U.S. Geological Survey, the Soil Conservation Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1985

Selected test-well data from the MX-missile siting study, Tooele, Juab, Millard, Beaver, and Iron Counties, Utah

This report contains well data collected from 1979 to 1983 in a part of the Great Basin in western Utah (fig. 1). The area is characterized by a series of generally north-trending mountain ranges separated by alluviumfilled basins that are partially filled with sedimentary deposits eroded from the adjacent mountains and lacustrine sediments deposited by Lake Bonneville. Most of the intermountain basins are elongated in the northward direction, but some are almost equidimensional. This report was prepared as part of the Great Basin Regional AquiferSystem Analysis (RASA) program. The report is intended to make well data from the MX-missile siting study readily available to water-resource managers and the general public. It includes well data obtained in areas for which little or no such data have been published previously. Well-drilling and well-completion data were compiled by Ertec, Inc. (formerly Fugro National, Inc.) under contract with the U. S. Air Force. Those data along with aquifer test data, geophysical logs, and drillers1 or geologists1 logs were obtained from Ertec, Inc. under an agreement with the U.S. Air Force. The authors thank the officials of both Ertec, Inc. and the U.S. Air Force for their helpful cooperation. The U.S. Geological Survey obtained accurate locations of the test wells (pi. 1) and accurate water-level measurements in those wells (table 1). Chemical analyses of water samples collected from several of the test wells drilled in the Sevier Desert have been published in a report by Enright and Holmes (1982, table 5). Test drilling for the MX-missile siting study consisted of two parts, the verification phase and the water-resources phase. The verification jhase was designed to obtain information necessary for the design and construction of the MX-basing system. Numerous small diameter wells were bored with depths ranging from 92 to 205 feet. Two-inch diameter JVC casing with the bottom 20 feet perforated was installed in each borehole. The water-resources phase was designed to determine ground-water availibility and to estimate the effects of ground-water withdrawals required for the construction of the MX-basing system. Six large-diameter production test wells were drilled along with associated small-diameter observation wells. Depths ranged from 310 to 1,399 feet. Lithologic logs for selected production test wells or associated observation wells are listed in table 2. Geophysical logs and aquifer test data are available in the files of the U. S. Geological Survey, as indicated in table 1.

Utah↗
USGS1989

A general method for generating bathymetric data for hydrodynamic computer models

To generate water depth data from randomly distributed bathymetric data for numerical hydrodymamic models, raw input data from field surveys, water depth data digitized from nautical charts, or a combination of the two are sorted to given an ordered data set on which a search algorithm is used to isolate data for interpolation. Water depths at locations required by hydrodynamic models are interpolated from the bathymetric data base using linear or cubic shape functions used in the finite-element method. The bathymetric database organization and preprocessing, the search algorithm used in finding the bounding points for interpolation, the mathematics of the interpolation formulae, and the features of the automatic generation of water depths at hydrodynamic model grid points are included in the analysis. This report includes documentation of two computer programs which are used to: (1) organize the input bathymetric data; and (2) to interpolate depths for hydrodynamic models. An example of computer program operation is drawn from a realistic application to the San Francisco Bay estuarine system. (Author 's abstract)

Open-File Report↗
USGS1994

Documentation of a spatial data-base management system for monitoring pesticide application in Washington

The Pesticide-Application Data-Base Management System was created as a demonstration project and was tested with data submitted to the Washington State Department of Agriculture by pesticide applicators from a small geographic area. These data were entered into the Department's relational data-base system and uploaded into the system's ARC/INFO files. Locations for pesticide applica- tions are assigned within the Public Land Survey System grids, and ARC/INFO programs in the Pesticide-Application Data-Base Management System can subdivide each survey section into sixteen idealized quarter-quarter sections for display map grids. The system provides data retrieval and geographic information system plotting capabilities from a menu of seven basic retrieval options. Additionally, ARC/INFO coverages can be created from the retrieved data when required for particular applications. The Pesticide-Application Data-Base Management System, or the general principles used in the system, could be adapted to other applica- tions or to other states.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1994

Compilation of selected hydrologic data, through water year 1992, Black Hills Hydrology Study, western South Dakota

This report presents water-level, water-quailty, and springflow data that have been collected or compiled, through water year 1992, for the Black Hills Hydrology Study. This study is a long-term cooperative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey, the South Dakota Department of Environmental and Natural Resources, and the West Dakota Water Development District (which represents various local and county cooperators). Water-level data are presented for 32 observation wells and 2 cave sites in the Black Hills area of western South Dakota. The wells are part of a network of observation wells maintained by the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources and are completed in various bedrock formations that are utilized as aquifers in the Black Hills area. Both cave sites are located within outcrops of the Madison Limestone. Data presented include site descriptions, hydrographs, and tabular data. Water- quality data are presented for 12 surface-water sites and 5 ground-water sites. Data presented include field parameters, bacteria counts, and concentrations of common ions, solids, nutrients, trace elements, radiometrics, cyanide, phenols, dissolved organic carbon, and suspended sediment. Spring data are presented for 83 springs and 21 stream reaches with significant springflow components. Data presented include site information, discharge, and field water-quality parameters including temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and pH.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1994

Global energy and water cycle experiment (GEWEX) continental-scale international project (GCIP); reference data sets CD-ROM

The data sets on this compact disc are a compilation of several geographic reference data sets of interest to the global-change research community. The data sets were chosen with input from the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-Scale International Project (GCIP) Data Committee and the GCIP Hydrometeorology and Atmospheric Subpanels. The data sets include: locations and periods of record for stream gages, reservoir gages, and meteorological stations; a 500-meter-resolution digital elevation model; grid-node locations for the Eta numerical weather-prediction model; and digital map data sets of geology, land use, streams, large reservoirs, average annual runoff, average annual precipitation, average annual temperature, average annual heating and cooling degree days, hydrologic units, and state and county boundaries. Also included are digital index maps for LANDSAT scenes, and for the U.S. Geological Survey 1:250,000, 1:100,000, and 1:24,000-scale map series. Most of the data sets cover the conterminous United States; the digital elevation model also includes part of southern Canada. The stream and reservoir gage and meteorological station files cover all states having area within the Mississippi River Basin plus that part of the Mississippi River Basin lying within Canada. Several data-base retrievals were processed by state, therefore many sites outside the Mississippi River Basin are included.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1995

Reference manual for data base on Nevada water-rights permits

The U.S. Geological Survey and Nevada Division of Water Resources have cooperatively developed and implemented a data-base system for managing water-rights permit information for the State of Nevada. The Water-Rights Permit data base is part of an integrated system of computer data bases using the Ingres Relational Data-Base Manage-ment System, which allows efficient storage and access to water information from the State Engineer's office. The data base contains a main table, three ancillary tables, and five lookup tables, as well as a menu-driven system for entering, updating, and reporting on the data. This reference guide outlines the general functions of the system and provides a brief description of data tables and data-entry screens.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1995

Cerro Prieto geothermal field, Mexico; chemical analyses and other data for 58 samples collected in 1977-1979

This report releases the results of selected chemical analyses by the USGS of fluids collected from geothennal power production wells at the Cerro Prieto Geothennal Field, Mexico. Cerro Prieto, the world's largest producing hot-water geothennal field, is located 32 km southeast of Mexicali, Baja California. Comision Federal de Electricidad de Mexico (CFE) gave permission for, and assisted in, sample collection. Data collection and reported analyses was made by the U.S. Geological Survey. Data collected in 1977 and 1978 where published previously by Ball and Jenne (1983) which was about half the data given here. This report also includes samples collected in 1979 which were not previously released. These activities, including this data release, are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. Analyses given in the following section were made by James W. Ball and E.A. Jenne. The data have been reviewed with the assistance of Cathy Janik, USGS, Menlo Park. Some, but not all, details from Ball and Jenne (1983) concerning collection, and preservation and analytical procedures are repeated here. Nehring and Trusdell (1977) also provide an outline of some of the issues involved in the difficult task of collecting samples from geothermal wells. The initial intent of the study was to provide basic data for use in determining how these fluids should be managed either in disposal or in reinjection. Some of the hot, corrosive brines were separated as two-phase (water and steam) samples under pressure using a coiled condenser tube submerged in an ice/water mixture (called "condensed" samples). It is not known if these were total flow samples. Other samples were collected from the brine sampling valve of the separators (called "flashed" samples). Analyses given in the following section area sorted by (1) well number, (2) date, and (3) sample type(s). Analysis was by a Spectraspan III d.c. argon plasma emission spectrometer with a Spectraject III torch (Ball and Jenne, 1983). Elements were determined in two groups using interchangeable cassettes. Group one included B, Mn, Cu, Zn, Si, Zr, Be, Mn, Sr, Ti, Ca, Fe, Ba, K, Na, Rb, and Al. Group two included As, Se, Bi, Zn, Cd, Sb, Cu, Ni, Hg, Mo, Co, Cr, Fe, V, Tl, Li, and Pb. Ball and Jenne (1983) noted that analysis of B, Ca, Mg, Ba, and Sr generally gave precise results. Movement of the plasma or grating was observed to affect sensitivity over short time periods even while the instrument was carefully standardized and optimized. Sensitivity was also a function of sample concentration. All samples at the time of analysis contained a white precipitate (perhaps colloidal silica) thus the reported concentrations may not accurately represent the concentrations present at the time of collection (Ball and Jenne, 1983). Additional details about specific elements are given in the section on "Evaluation of data" (Bliss, this volume) following the data table.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1995

Integrating multisource land use and land cover data

As part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) land use and land cover (LULC) program, the USGS in cooperation with the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) is collecting and integrating LULC data for a standard USGS 1:100,000-scale product. The LULC data collection techniques include interpreting spectrally clustered Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images; interpreting 1-meter resolution digital panchromatic orthophoto images; and, for comparison, aggregating locally available large-scale digital data of urban areas. The area selected is the Vancouver, WA-OR quadrangle, which has a mix of urban, rural agriculture, and forest land. Anticipated products include an integrated LULC prototype data set in a standard classification scheme referenced to the USGS digital line graph (DLG) data of the area and prototype software to develop digital LULC data sets. This project will evaluate a draft standard LULC classification system developed by the USGS for use with various source material and collection techniques. Federal, State, and local governments, and private sector groups will have an opportunity to evaluate the resulting prototype software and data sets and to provide recommendations. It is anticipated that this joint research endeavor will increase future collaboration among interested organizations, public and private, for LULC data collection using common standards and tools.

Open-File Report↗
USGS1996

Hydrologic data for the East Poplar oil field, Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Northeastern Montana

This report presents selected hydrologic data for the East Poplar oil field, located in the south-central part of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in northeastern Montana. Data about the occurrence, quantity, and quality of ground and surface water are presented in tabular form. The tables contain records of privately owned wells (active and abandoned), monitoring wells installed by the U.S. Geological Survey and Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, oil wells, and brine-injection wells; lithologic descriptions of drill cuttings and well-completion data from monitoring wells; data from two aquifer tests conducted in Quaternary alluvial and glacial deposits; chemical quality of ground water; and information on the quantity and chemical quality of surface water. Records of electromagnetic geophysical measurements collected throughout an area of about 20 square miles of the study area are compiled and included on a floppy disk. Illustrations in this report contain information about study area location, site- numbering system, general physical and cultural features, and construction of monitoring wells installed by the U.S. Geological Survey. plate-sized map presents additional information about privately owned wells, monitoring wells, oil wells, brine-injections wells, surface-water data-collection sites, and area of electromagnetic data collection. The data presented in this report provide a base with which to better define and interpret the occurrence, quantity, and quality of ground and surface water in the vicinity of the Poplar River Valley in the south-central part of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation. The data can be used to help delineate the occurrence of brine and saline water in Quaternary alluvial and glacial deposits in the East Poplar oil field.

Open-File Report↗